Where Infinite Time Stood Still
by James Ray Edwards
Summary: [AU]Ten years ago, they left him, left him all alone, left him to rot. Everyone. They thought he was junk. How wrong they were... They should know better than to dig up the past. [ShinjixFem?]
1. Chapter 1

* * *

Disclaimer: 

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creative property of GAINAX, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Anything not attributed to GAINAX belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Rozen Maiden that is the creation of Peach-Pit, Full Metal Panic! is the creation of Shikidouji and Shouji Gatou, Shakugan no SHANA is the creation of Yashichiro Takahashi, The Karas is the creation of Tatsunoko, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a college student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!

The Surgeon General's Warning:

Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, not to mention some definite parts for Mayumi Yamagishi, Mana Kirishima, and more to come.

* * *

Where Infinite Time Stood Still, The World Consumed in Flame 

_Ore wa jankku ja ne_/ I'm not junk!

Chapter 01:

The Reunion in the Machine City

A Super-sized NGE fic by James "Ray" Edwards

* * *

Ten years ago, it all started ten years ago on _that _day, the day where the sky cried --- and screamed. It was probably part of the reason why he never did like the rain, reminding him always of that time, that place. He was not always alone, or so he thought. Once, he thought he might have had a family, a mother and --- _father_, but that too was a dream, was it not? 

He had been abandoned that day.

Why? he had asked himself many times.

Why did _Father_ abandon me? Was I not good enough for him? What did I do wrong? Where was mother? Where did she go? What happened to her? Why was this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?

It was then that "That Man" appeared before him in the pounding rain. Lightning flashing, tall and dark, he was an awesome presence of malevolence and power. Bathed in the concealing darkness, a single smoldering silver eye, like a lit flame, gazed out from the shadow of his cowl.

"Stop crying," That Man said to him.

"B-But-!" he sniffled pitifully, his knees weak and trembling at his shattered heart.

"A grown man does _not _cry."

"B-But --- But I-I-!"

"You're _not _a broken child."

"But _O-Otou_-san _left _me!"

"It means you're a grown man now."

He blinked, his young mind uncomprehending of the cloaked figure's cryptic words.

"Do you want power?" That Man asked him.

"P-Power? For what?"

"A grown man does not cry because he has these two hands."

"Two hands?"

"Two hands to grasp the dream. Two hands to grasp the future. Two hands to take whatever he so pleases. He will not cry because everything is his."

"Everything?" he murmured as he stared down at his two tiny hands.

"Whatever he pleases."

"'_Whatever he pleases_.'"

"Do you want power?"

"...Yes. Yes... Yes! I want power!" he shouted up at the man with knuckle-clenched fists.

"Very well, but know this: what was once taken, cannot be given back."

It was the day everything changed.

* * *

The sky was blue. White clouds hung peacefully up there in that blue yonder, so close in his eyes that he could reach out and touch it. At least, it was the principle of the idea, not that he knew if it was practical or not. However, it was comforting to know that even within this fortress of steel, flesh and blood, and buildings reaching into the heavens like guard towers, he could still see the sky. 

Ikari Shinji sighed wistfully, gazing disinterestedly at his bland utilitarian surroundings, just another street to him, in the metropolis of Tokyo-3.

Yes, this was the city his --- _father_ --- built, the reputed last haven of humanity. This was said to be the safest city in the world in the event of an "Angel Attack." It was protected by NERV, a top-secret organization --- _father_ --- founded and funded by the nations of the world under the banner of the United Nations.

"And the _guardian _of this city is the _Evangelion_, a giant bio-mechanoid, more powerful than the world's most advanced Arm Slave..." he murmured, idly fidgeting away with his new school uniform. It was plain: a white shortsleeve shirt, black trousers, and a pair of equally plain, white sneakers. "Or at least that's what it says in the brochure they sent me."

After ten long years, he had received an official government letter just a week ago telling him to come to Tokyo-3 right away. Inside, a steamy picture was enclosed of a buxom violet-haired woman, beautiful and vivacious, along with a street address and a time he should be at the rendezvous. Paper work was filled, his belongings far and few gathered into a single box, and he came just asked.

In appearance, Shinji was a strange boy of fourteen years. He was lean and lithe, almost frail looking in fact, with short neatly cropped black hair and a relatively healthy complexion. By all standards, he was an unremarkable boy, easily lost in a crowd.

However, those features were irrelevant.

What really mattered were three important details: First, he carried nothing on him. No luggage. Nothing. Second, his eyes were blue, a strange pigment considering his Japanese heritage, but they were blue, _apathetic_, and _wanting_. He cared about nothing and wanted everything.

Last but not least, something silvery was glinting off his left hand. It was an exquisite silver ring, worn on his ring finger, wrought with vines and thorns that sprouted seemingly from a single golden rose. The craftsmanship was beyond comparison, a masterpiece, but an a odd choice for a boy.

"Hm, I wonder where that woman is?" Shinji murmured as he observed a flock of birds, just across the way at the intersection ahead, frolicking about on the road in the absence of traffic. They must have been having a good time without people to bother them.

Yes, people could really be bothersome, just like that girl over there with snow white skin, azure blue hair, red eyes standing...

Wait, a girl?

Suddenly, the ground shook with a thunderous roar, sending the birds scattering, their wings fluttering in flight. The albino girl was gone, an ephemeral mirage that had apparently never been there. Shinji scowled and shook his head, wondering if he was starting to hallucinate, even when he was not on _Mercury_.

Mercury.

Mercury.

Mercury.

He needed more of it. He wanted it now. The cravings were becoming more persistent. However, Suiguntou was not here at the moment with him. She was on the way, still traveling somewhere out there. Indeed, the little black angel was the second best thing that had ever happened to him, but she could not be here with him right now...

...and it was all _Father_'s fault.

A second quake shook the ground, snapping out of his dark thoughts. Restraining the urge to snarl, he shot his gaze about, trying to see if he could locate the source when an armed VTOL battlecopter came screaming by overhead guns blazing. The deafening shriek of its rockets was audible over the roar of its own twin engines, forcing Shinji to clap his hands over his ears to block out the noise. It was just in the nick of time too as the thunderous blast of explosions came funneling through the street like a cyclone.

What was going on around here? It sounds like a battle, a war!

His blue eyes blazed with life for the first time since he arrived in the outskirts of this empty city at the grim gravity of the situation. He whirled towards the scene of the battle. More VTOL battlecopters emerged from a hillside, buzzing in retreat like bees from the ominous presence of something massive. A gigantic humanoid appeared moments later, a fantastic creature the likes he had never seen before, clearly existing outside the laws of nature.

It was well over thirty meters tall (roughly a hundred feet), and every impossible part of it was distinctive, but what really drew his attention was the red sphere protruding from its chest. There was something odd about it, like it was magnetic, calling out to him. He could feel his right hand reaching out to grasp it, even though it was well beyond his reach.

What was it? A _youkai_? A giant _mikura_? A _Rinne_ manipulated by _Tomagara_ in such a way so that it can manifest in this space? Or was it a real _angel_? Of course, not that any of these tiny details mattered to him.

He wanted it.

This simple desire of wanting was all the provocation Shinji needed, and he had a hunch that the real prize lay in the red sphere of that angel. He wanted it bad enough to kill the thing without hesitation, to grind its bone to dust, to rend its flesh to ribbons, and to burn its bloody corpse in a beautiful bonfire.

"Dust to Dust and Ashes to Ashes," he murmured, a grotesque sneer creeping up his face as his blue eyes seemed to turn hollow for an instant. It was like a hungry void devouring all that lay before it, and even then, it was still not satisfied. It wanted more and more, an endless insatiable desire.

Mercury.

Mercury.

Mercury.

If only Suiguntou were here, he could claim his prize now!

"_Oi_, kid! Get in!" a voice called out to him suddenly, accompanied by the pitched roar of a sports car's high-performance engine.

The light in his eyes died, and Shinji shuddered involuntarily as he felt a familiar docile air settle upon his shoulders again. Burying his disappointment deep down, he questioned why his little black angel insisted on such a farce. Everything belonged to him, so why did he have to pretend that he was so weak, so weak that he needed the approval of others just to live? He already had her, and as long as she loved him, he was invincible.

Nothing in this world could stop him from claiming what belonged rightfully to him, not even himself.

"Yes, ma'am," he snapped to attention timidly and hurried into the passenger's seat of the sports car.

They quickly sped off into the clear, not even giving him enough time to buckle down before the woman slammed her foot on the accelerator. A sidelong glance at her revealed that she was the same buxom violet-haired woman from the photo, introducing herself in a rapid-fire fashion as "Captain Misato Katsuragi." He replied timidly to the pleasantries, gasped in wonder at the sight of the hopeless battle taking place, and gave a somewhat girlish squeal when Misato wrestled him into her lap.

The overwhelming roar of the N2 mine was like music to his ears, a white noise that drowned out all other sounds.

* * *

"So this is what my father built, his masterpiece?" Shinji asked aloud, his gaze affixed on the purple demonic visage of the beast before him. 

Purple: oh, how much he was starting to hate that color. From Misato with her nearly ever-present smile and her violet hair to this beast, they were all mocking his beloved little black angel. He was barely holding back the impulse to tear its face off and see what it really looked like underneath this garish disguise.

"Correct," the new woman in the lab coat spoke up automatically, a "Doctor Ritsuko Akagi." She had blonde hair, but even he could tell it was fake, and personally, it disgusted him a little. They had met her on the way to the "EVA Cages" as Misato had gotten hopelessly lost in the underground headquarters of NERV. "This is the bio-mechanoid designated as Evangelion Unit-01, Mankind's ultimate weapon against the angels. I trust, you've read up on it in the dossier we provided, Sh?"

Psshh, it was more like a brochure, but whatever, he scoffed privately to himself, while making an affirmative groan with his throat.

Shinji stood there seemingly captivated by the sight before him, ignorant of the presence of the two women nearby on the gantry. The smell of this place reminded him of a hospital: sterile air with the faintest hint of lemon and the coppery effervescence of blood. It was everywhere and it was driving him crazy. However, nothing could compare to the incomprehensible abomination before him.

_Father_ --- _Father_ had left him for this piece of **JUNK**? This _thing_ was more valuable than him? The "_Evangelion_" was so much more valuable than him that _Father_ deemed him to be unfit, worthless --- **junk** to be cast aside in the trash? How absurd!

I hate you, thought the black-haired boy acidly.

It was now taking all the willpower he had to keep his schooled countenance and not leap forwards from this gantry in screaming fury to begin tearing the garishly colored abomination to pieces. He hated it. He hated it almost more than _Father_! His rage trickled past his guard into his hands, causing them to ball up ever so slightly into fists.

"So where's my father, Doctor Akagi?" Shinji asked in the same timid voice, never taking his blue eyes off of the Evangelion.

"Right here, Third Child," rumbled the booming voice of an all too familiar man, the power of his cold, terrible baritone amplified by the speakers in the Evangelion cage.

The two women straightened to attention, and even Misato with her easy-going attitude looked a touch embarrassed as he followed her gaze upwards towards the observation room across from the Evangelion. Gendo Ikari: the sight of his wretched father did not raise terror or awe at the imposing sight of him, not at all, not in the slightest sliver of a fraction. It was all Shinji could do to repress the grotesque, leering smile that threatened to break his timid, useless character.

_Kita_. There he is.

"Hello, _Otou_-san. It's been a while, hasn't it?" the boy repeated the lines he had been rehearsing for years to say to this man.

_Kita_! There he is!

"That is irrelevant, Third Child," Gendo admonished him crisply, just like he knew the wretch would.

_Mitsuketta_! I found him!

And you brought _me _right to you, Shinji cackled maniacally in the ecstasy of his private thoughts. The excitement bubbled inside his hot blood, bringing him nearly to tears. "**Why**, _Otou_-san? Why. _Why _did you bring me back after all these years?"

You fool.

"Because I have a use for you now, Third Child. You've been scouted as a potential pilot and you are to defend this city using the weapon NERV has devised at the costs of trillions in funds."

You fool!

"That's it? You brought me back just to pilot _this_?" he shrieked in anguish, an act made all the more authentic as he vented his hate and sorrow into every word.

You know what this means, don't you?

Gendo stood completely unfazed by the emotion of his son. The women below had schooled their calm expressions well, as to be expected, but he would not be surprised if Katsuragi had a new set of private reservations against him. She always had been much too soft. "If you will not pilot, a suitable replacement can be found, Third Child."

Shinji gasped, as if struck by a punch, his blue eyes quivering with hurt beyond comprehension, all the while he was rolling in gales of laughter inside. Everything was going exactly as planned. His act was a success, a complete success!

"W-Wait! _Otou_-san! I --- I-I'll --- I'll do it," he capitulated pitifully, hanging his head low in shame. Even though he could not see it, he could feel the heat of the hidden smirk of triumph radiating from the wretched bespectacled man.

Perfect.

I'm going to take everything away from you, _Father_. _Kukukukuku_! When you have nothing left for me to take, I'm going to strip every last piece of flesh from your still living body, and then --- only then...when all you have left is your ruined life, I'm going to let you live, to feel the same the pain I did! You were wrong about me. Everyone was wrong about me!

I'm not _junk_!

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, and there you go that's episode one for you all. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this considering I have two other fics running, but I probably will, except it'll be on my really low priority list. If Shinji seemed really OOC, bear in mind this is a pretty huge AU fic by just looking at the credits, and I understand perfectly that the little teaser backstory I gave does nowhere near the justice to justify his character yet.

Don't worry too much because everything will become clear in time, and please, do try to enjoy the story and imagine the potential it can generate. Is Shinji a villain or a hero? Will he stay with Misato-san? What's going to happen with his relationships with all the other characters? And what the heck is he going on about? Who or what is Suiguntou, this "person" that _loves _him? What's Mercury got to do with it? Is Shinji out of his mind?

Well, we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

For those of you who have tuned in, I'd like to thank you all very much for your patronage, and I always encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often).

Well, that wraps it up, folks, so until the next time we meet: Rock on! Because Winter Break is right around the corner!

P.S. If y'all like my style, feel free to go read my other stories. New and old: I think they all got something to offer, although it's only the Naruto AU fic and the huge 30+ chapter Love Hina AU fic that I'm presently writing.

_Tsudzuku_!


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Disclaimer: 

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creative property of GAINAX, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Anything not attributed to GAINAX belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Rozen Maiden that is the creation of Peach-Pit, Full Metal Panic! is the creation of Shikidouji and Shouji Gatou, Shakugan no SHANA is the creation of Yashichiro Takahashi, The Karas is the creation of Tatsunoko, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a college student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!

The Surgeon General's Warning:

Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, not to mention some definite parts for Mayumi Yamagishi, Mana Kirishima, and more to come.

* * *

Where Infinite Time Stood Still, The World Consumed in Flame 

_Ore wa jankku ja ne _/ I'm not junk!

Chapter 02:

Stand Still

A Super-sized NGE fic by James "Ray" Edwards

* * *

The pressurized sensation of being shot like a bullet through the complex intravenous network of tunnels, the weight of his body crushing him into the pilot's seat from the increasing G-forces was strangely liberating. Holding his eyelids shut, it took a great deal of his self-control not to break out into blissful laughter at the amusing "thrill ride" that _Father_ had sent him on. Even more laughable was the chatter over the communications channels at the "bridge bunnies" began to spout technical jargon at a kilometer per minute. 

Heh, the fools had no idea who really was in charge around here.

"Contact in T-Minus..." the "Girl Bunny" began to count down as he neared the service.

Shinji blocked out all the other noise, gripping the butterfly joysticks a little tighter in growing anticipation for the coming battle. After all, it would be his first time facing an Angel, and he had no intention of using _Father_'s toy. His power alone was more than enough to deal with this measly threat.

The ambient hum of the Evangelion's entry plug gave an abrupt rumbling shudder, announcing that he had finally reached the surface. Opening his eyes, Shinji found himself "standing" just a short distance away from the greenish-black form of the Angel, and he was not impressed in the slightest. This Captain Katsuragi either had great faith in the ability of a spineless wimp or was a complete incompetent, throwing him face first into the arms of his enemy on his first sortie ever. Under normal circumstances, he would have probably been killed.

He could hear the scaffold clamps detaching with a loud hiss behind him, before the entire construct itself retreated into the ground, leaving him alone in a vast playground with plenty of buildings for impromptu cover, electric lights to see, and the Angel for his _toy_. The pale white moon glowed eerily in the clear night sky, yet there were no stars he could see, as the Angel finally lumbered about to face him, boring into him with those empty sightless eyes. Shinji could hardly wait to begin, but he had to wait just a little longer for his surprise to be hatched first.

"Lieutenant Ibuki, status report!" Misato's rough, military bark echoed over the comm-line.

Girl Bunny answered promptly, "All systems green, Captain. Unit-01 is ready for combat any time."

"Ten-Four, let's get this show-"

"Hold on a second, Captain," interjected Doctor Akagi suddenly, making Shinji's ears perk up ever so slightly.

Here it comes; here it comes!

"Director, this is-!"

"Lieutenant Ibuki, what's the reading on the Third Child's sync ratio?"

"Oh, uh, the data's coming in right now. It's..."

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

Maya hesitated with an audible gulp that nearly elicited a giggle out of him. Oh yes, his father was not going to be pleased in the slightest bit. The punch line was coming right down the corner.

"Um, he's --- _borderline_, ma'am."

"Say WHAT?" exploded Misato in shock.

"That's impossible; Ikari Shinji, the Third Child was the top candidate selected by the Marduk Institution. What do you mean he's just _borderline_?"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but the data doesn't lie. The Third Child's sync ratio is just enough for him to activate Unit-01."

"Wait, are you saying we just sent up a pilot who can't even _fight_?"

"Captain Katsuragi, do we appear to have a problem?" broke an older man's reserved voice, not _Father_'s, as all semblance of professionalism was rapidly deteriorating into panic.

Shinji could hear the din of the whispers spreading throughout Central Dogma from the other concerned personnel. Doubt and suspicion festered like a wound in the air, and all the while, _Father_ could do nothing but sit like the figurehead of a sinking ship high atop his post in the command center. He wished he could have been down there just to see the thinnest slivers of muscle contractions on the man's impassive face. Alas, he was stuck up here in a toy that he no intention of playing with and --- oh, look --- the Angel's coming right for him.

"Misato-san!" he shrieked girlishly over the comm-line.

His schooled expression of fright was there for all to see as the Angel drew back its right hand, hurling a fist with all of its thunderous might into Unit-01's grim visage. Sparks exploded briefly in a screech of metal from the Evangelion's face, the panoramic monitor flickering. The sound of rushing air graced his ears as he felt the sensation being thrown back, knocked clean off his feet. The purple humanoid war machine sailed beautifully through the air, spiraling about face like an American football, before smashing face first into a thirty story shopping center thirty blocks down the street. The mall instantly exploded into a cloud of debris, glittering with glass, and flying shrapnel.

It was wonderful, and the best part, he did not even feel a scratch from it. He was rejecting the Evangelion, and thus, he never feel its pain. Judging by the commotion he could hear echoing from HQ, the whole place had broken down into genuine pandemonium now. Captain Katsuragi and the old man identified as Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki were desperately trying to maintain order and not having much success either. After all, no decent human being or even the worst of the lot wanted to die, especially in such a hopeless situation. Shinji could vaguely hear commands to eject the entry plug from Unit-01, a clear sign they had given up on him altogether. It was also his cue to act.

Forcing all distractions from his mind, he emptied the chaos into a wellspring that hummed and glowed in the darkest corners of his heart. The world was empty and hollow. There was no sound, no Evangelion, no _Father_: nothing. There was only him, and his heart was full.

"_Fuzetsu_," he murmured beneath his breath in a voice below the frequency of human hearing.

Instantly, a black field crackling with electricity erupted from his body spreading rapidly outwards, invisible to ordinary human eyes and all man-made instrumentation. It consumed everything in all directions: left to right, back and forth, above and below. The machine city came to a stand still as time stopped, and the voices of the panicking NERV personnel ceased. It was peace and yet it was not peace.

Shinji smiled openly for first time he entered this dead place as he felt the power flowing through his eager, hungry veins. The searing heat from within bubbled to the surface, until every inch of his body began to glow an unearthly white. The liquid LCL in his lungs evaporated into bubbles that were expelled from his opened mouth, cleansing him free of the blood he did not desire. It was filthy, unsightly, and an unexpected surprise when they had started pumping the entry plug with its foul contents.

He would have to make _Father_ pay for it later, but for now...

In a roaring white flash, the boy disappeared from the pilot's seat only to appear several blocks away from the fallen Evangelion, clad still in his school uniform. With fiery ardor filling his heart, Shinji gazed in wonder at the masterful beauty he had created once again. A world within a world, the amorphous eternal night had taken shape and form under the grace of his spell. The once pale moon hung a bright golden amber in the clear sky, and all around him, the street lights seemed to dance and come alive with a purpose of their own, as the empty buildings glowed with a faint dark light.

"WHO DARES?" thundered a booming voice that sent the wind howling in the air.

Lazily, Shinji glanced upwards, focusing his attention upon the speaker, and found that he was not in the slightest bit disappointed by the caliber of his foe. This would be interesting fight, after all, aside from the ridiculous size difference:

"So that's your true form, huh?"

Hovering down the street was the same Angel he had encountered only moments ago, a gigantic monstrosity that blotted out the sky with its great bulk, except it had undergone a noticeable change indeed. Every ounce of flesh that had once adorned its body had been stripped clean, leaving behind only a hulking macabre skeleton, bleached white and pure like ivory, with two equally skeletal wings sprouting from its back. The "head" remained disembodied, a pair of avian-like faces hovering in its open rib cage above the red sphere, the Angel's core, as an awesome shining golden halo hung above its gruesome form.

It was a marriage of death and beauty, and the young Ikari was impressed by the decor. He cared not for the bones or the halo because what he really wanted was still the crimson, blood red core, glowing with its own inner light. Something inside was tugging at him, calling him, as if it were begging for him to take it. He was more than happy to oblige.

"You're not like anything I've ever met, _Shito_-san," Shinji spoke up to the Angel cordially. He was unfazed utterly by the ominous, unearthly approach of the otherworldly being, towering well over hundred above himself where he was reduced to the status of an insignificant ant in its shadow.

"_LILIM_," the Agent of Heaven answered.

"'_Lilim_'? Hmm, and I was expecting a more clichéd response, but I'll make a note to look it up later."

"DIE."

The Angel's hollow eyes flashed a blinding white as the air exploded spontaneously with a roar. Where Shinji once stood, an immense cross of pure energy emerged into the sky, incinerating the entire block beneath its seemingly holy brilliance. Surely, nothing could...

"Though I got to say, your manners're about on par with the average _Rinne_ or _youkai_. At least a _Tomagara_ or a Flamehaze would've had the decency to talk a little more before trying to disintegrate me to dust, wouldn't you say?"

Suddenly, a barrage of bright humming vermillion lights sliced through the night sky, hailing right down on top of the towering titan. Multiple explosions rocked the Angel as the vermillion lights struck its form like piercing needles before detonating, sending the creature veering backwards with a groan. Blindly, the Angel lashed out in retaliation, exploding an energy cross in mid-air that turned night into day for an instant.

"On the other hand, your aim's just as bad."

A black blur shot through the smoldering black smoke emanating from its body and struck its left face with an deafening roar. The Angel shrieked in audible pain as the bone shattered like glass, revealing half of the face beneath. A pupil-less yellow "eye-like" organ gazed out for a moment, trying to zero in on the tiny form of the blur leaping away before a whistling object, gleaming briefly in the moonlight like metal, pierced the organ. Green blood spurted everywhere as the Angel writhed and wailed terribly.

"By the way, there was another present in the one I left you."

The blue fireball exploding out of the Angel's eye obliterated the left face entirely, sending the skeletal titan reeling back. With the left face gone, the right face immediately shifted into the central position, tracking about rapidly in an effort to locate the deadly interloper. A trail of laughter from above, cawing mockingly like a crow, drew its attention skyward. Silhouetted against the moon, a black shape took form in the guise of a giant crow, wings spread in flight, as its eyes shined crimson red.

"Now that've you seen this, you'll --- DIE."

The crow exploded into a shower of black feathers as a blue streak shot through the night, a screaming arrow destined only for one target. The Angel returned fire with another energy cross, but the blue arrow pierced straight through the attack, shining brightly just moments before it struck. The face shattered on impact as the titan burst into azure flames, the golden halo above catching fire as well. The apostle gave a last death cry before collapsing backwards with a shriek, crashing thunderously right on top of the crouching black figure.

The giant mass of blue flames scattered everywhere like wildfire, hotter than the pyres of Hell, and yet they did not burn. The figure emerged from the wreckage, a male clad in armor from head to toe, glowing white-hot. His two red eyes fading into an ambient blue, he held up his left hand and the silver ring wrought with roses upon his finger shined brightly. The dark light of violet amethyst drew was a beacon, drawing in the blue flames and absorbing them all until not an ember remained.

"Phew, I feel completely full," the armored warrior's voice echoed with a metallic rancor. "It goes to show that the bigger they are, the more power of existence they've got bottled up inside too. Still, even a reputed Messenger of God was no match for me."

With the flames consumed, the dark light from his ring faded, revealing his true form. The intricate armor was a glossy obsidian embellished with a golden trim and silvery decals. Flexible and sleek, each piece fitted together exactly, custom tailored and beyond the crafting of anything from this world. He was liken to an assassin, half-samurai and half-ninja, with a long _nodachi_ slung across his back, the hilt bound with chains to prevent it from being drawn. In truth, he resembled something of an armored crow demon with the avian-like flourishes on his helmet.

The medallion embedded into his neckguard glowed red, as if reminding him of the task at hand. Glancing skywards, the assassin found the large red sphere, the Angel's core, mercifully unharmed and ripe for the picking. He could hardly his own anticipation, chuckling greedily, as he reached out with his right hand, glowing white with power, and made to grasp it, even though all he held was just air. The sphere shuddered briefly but soon complied with his will, gliding obediently down before him.

It was perfect, absolutely perfect. His helmet shined and gave way in a shower of golden feathers, revealing Shinji's boyish face twisted grotesquely in greed, bearing his glistening white teeth openly as his blue eyes danced with an inner light that bordered on lust. Lovingly, he caressed the crimson surface, glossy and reflective, and despite the cold unfeeling metal encasing his hands, he could feel the warmth radiating through, the surface eerily soft like a woman's fine creamy skin. The thing inside was still calling to him, giving off a ringing chime like the sound of bells.

The boy could hardly contain himself any longer, his mind racing with questions and desire. What was inside? Could it be more _treasure _for him? Something more to help fill in the gap, the void that always hungered for more? Suiguntou always did like to laugh on the occasion, comparing him to the equivalent of a human vacuum, but he did not see anything wrong with it. After all, he had the power, and since this was the case, he could have anything he wanted.

**Anything**.

If he wanted more, he would have more. Of course, he would never do anything to unnecessarily hurt or anger his dear beloved Suiguntou. He knew how to share too, and if she wanted something, Shinji swore he would tear existence itself apart to give it to her.

"Now then, I suppose, it's about time I claim what's mine," he chuckled darkly. His right hand glowed white-hot once again as he fed his power into it, easing it gently through the barrier that separated himself from his prize. It gave way easily, the membrane accepting him almost obediently, welcoming him inside. He reached in with the entire length of his arm, his nimble fingers searching longingly for something to grasp.

Shinji certainly never expected to be grabbed _back_. The ethereal sensation of graceful slender fingers intertwined with his own, stopping him dead cold with a shudder of surprise. It was warm and feminine, smelling of snowdrops in full bloom, innocent and sweet, and it was coming towards him. The red sphere began to shine white like a beacon, brighter and brighter, disintegrating into pure white feathers as the presence drew ever closer.

"What the hell?"

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, I decided to come around and give this one another go, folks. Thanks for the encouragement, more or less, and boy, is Shinji weird or what? He definitely isn't normal considering he just took down a freakin' Angel on foot! Still, what is this power he speaks of? What's a _Rinne_? What are _Youkai_? _Tomagara no Guze_? Flamehaze? The Power of Existence? What does it all mean? What _is _Shinji exactly? Why was his sword bound? What does that ring have to do with anything? What was inside the 3rd Angel's core? How the heck did he manage to gain the power to stop time? He's only got a borderline sync ratio? What's NERV going to do with him now? What's going to happen next, dammit?

Well, we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

For those of you who have tuned in, I'd like to thank you all very much for your patronage, and I always encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often).

Well, that wraps it up, folks, so until the next time we meet: Rock to the Path of Awesomeness! And may the Force be with you!

P.S. If you want to know what Shinji's armor looks like exactly, its one of the black suits of armor worn by Karas under Yurine's command, namely Otoha's version (his has blue eyes) with the dual-eye visor versus a single piece visor, in the upcoming anime _The Karas_ licensed by Manga Entertainment. Head on over to the Anime News Network and just follow the links as it's quite good stuff by Tatsunoko Productions, same folks who brought us Tekkaman Blade, which had some sweet armor/mecha designs too.

_Tsudzuku_!


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Disclaimer: 

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creative property of GAINAX, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Anything not attributed to GAINAX belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Rozen Maiden that is the creation of Peach-Pit, Full Metal Panic! is the creation of Shikidouji and Shouji Gatou, Shakugan no SHANA is the creation of Yashichiro Takahashi, The Karas is the creation of Tatsunoko, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a college student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!

The Surgeon General's Warning:

Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, not to mention some definite parts for Mayumi Yamagishi, Mana Kirishima, and more to come.

* * *

Where Infinite Time Stood Still, The World Consumed in Flame 

_Ore wa jankku ja ne_/ I'm not junk!

Chapter 03:

An Uncertain Future

A Super-sized NGE fic by James "Ray" Edwards

* * *

_Oshiete_ "_tsuyosa_" _no teigi_

_Jibun tsuranuku koto kana_

_Soretomo jibun sae sutete _

_made mamorubeki mono mamoru koto desu ka_?

It was a pretty song for a pretty voice. Of course, her voice was easily better than "pretty" and so was the song: a balanced mezzo-soprano, dainty and warm, embracing the notes, the tempo, and much more despite her own private uncertainty. It was different from Suiguntou's voice, awesome and graceful, bending everything to her will and making it anew. She could a change a song into a dirge for the dead, an aria of sorrow, a lullaby to rock a babe to sleep, or an ode to joy, if she so wished, and that was her beauty.

Shinji was standing in a broad green field, a sea of grass that swayed and billowed in the gentle breeze. The air was strangely refreshing, salty and sweet, the distant sounds of crashing carry over the nearby hilltop. Sunny and bright, there was nary a black cloud in sight to ruin this beautiful day, and for whatever reasons, he was back in his old junior high's school uniform again. It was black from head to toe, save for the white dress shoes and the golden crest sewn into the color, indicating he was a student at Aomori Academy way back in old Kyoto.

This peaceful scenery --- something about it just rubs me the wrong way, thought the young man disinterestedly as he lazed back into an easy swagger, sliding his hands into his pockets. It was difficult leading this double life, but for now, he felt he could relax, or at least, until he reached the top of the hill from where the girl's angelic voice drifted down.

_HITO wa arukitsuzukete yuku_

_Tada ikite yuku tame ni_

_Fukanzen na DEETA o nurikaenagara susumu_

_Hajimari no kouya o hitori_ /_ Mou arukidashiteru rashii_

_Boku wa hai ni naru made _/_ Boku de aritsuzeketai_

Idly, Shinji pondered what he should do as mounted the gentle ascent. This beautiful song was surely turning into an irritating one. What was the meaning of power? Hah, she was doubting herself. Power was meant to be used for good or ill, and of course, people have been walking since time immemorial just to live. It was one of the most basic drives existing even today.

_Tooi mukashi doko kara kita no_?

_Tooi mirai ni doko e yuku no_?

_Shiranai mama nagedasare_ / _Kizuku mae ni toki wa owaru no_

_Hajimari no kouya o hitori_ / _Mou arukidashiteru rashii_

_Boku wa hai ni naru made_ / _Boku de aritsuzuketai_

Okay, this was starting to get seriously pathetic. Shinji already knew all those answers. Where did he come from? Simple. He was born from a state of innocence into sin, fed from a silver spoon, and then drank from the tainted wine in the Holy Grail. What was once taken, cannot be given back: the words spoken to him once long ago.

The future was headed in one course and one course only, dictated by the power that flowed through his veins. There would be only one King, one Emperor, one God to rule the future to come, and everything would finally belong to him:

Ikari Shinji.

No one would ever take anything away from him again. No one would ever abandon him again. No one would ever call him _junk_ again. The answer was simple because everything belonged to him, and everyone would rightfully love him and only him. This was the perfect world to come!

_Boku wa boku no koto ga shiritai_

What? She wants to know more about herself? he thought incredulously as he arrived at the hilltop, sheltered under the wide overreaching branches of a great tree. He knew everything about himself from the power that flowed through his veins to that insatiable desire to possess everything in sight, a tireless effort to fill the gaping void in his soul. How _stupid_. How utterly stupid. What else could there be to kno-!

There she stood, a girl around his own age, just beyond the edge of the shadowed shade with her back to him. Long raven hair dark as night, like locks of silk, but even on the darkest of nights, there was still the moon and the stars, turning the "black" sky into a vast ocean of dark blue. Yes, this was her true color. The picture of youthful innocence clad in a white sleeveless sundress, her shoulders bare, as her long matching scarf billowed out behind her. She was even barefoot, and if he imagined hard enough, he could swear there should have been wings growing out of her back.

But what color would the feathers be? Black? White? Gold? Red?

Shinji had no idea, but one thing was for sure. He felt that familiar howl erupt from inside the void, as searing flames flooded his veins, making his heart race, his trembling hands clenching and unclenching with barely restrained wanting. Yes, there was no mistake about it. He wanted this girl, and here she was right before him with no one around to stop him, perfect for the taking.

An ugly smirk twisted across his face, blue eyes emptying in blackness, but before he could stop himself, he stepped forward, carelessly snapping a twig underfoot. Suddenly, an unnatural cold fear seized his raging heart, stopping him dead cold in his tracks with a gasp as the angelic girl that he coveted so turned about to face him. All of his cool, the malevolently instinctive desire to take what was his evaporated into screaming panic in an instant.

What was he going to do? What would her reaction be when she saw the monster he was? Would she scream frightfully in horror and take flight? Would she hate him, detest him, be revolted by the grotesque sight of him? Oh, this was new to him. Where were all these foolish fears coming from? Even if she ran, he could still catch her...

...right?

Please, don't run away. Please, don't run away, Shinji repeated the mantra desperately, trying to compose himself into semblance of the harmless, spineless child he pretended to be in reality. Please, don't run away. Please, don't run away!

All of his control was gone. He sweated underneath her curious gaze, her blue eyes the same shade as his own, breathing in muffled gasps. She scrutinized every inch of him, tapping a finger thoughtfully against her cheeks. Oh, she was pretty --- no --- gorgeous, not like Suiguntou. If his dear little black angel was the Moon, then this girl with deep blue eyes like the ocean was the Sun.

"_Anou_, do I know you from somewhere, _Uchuujin_-san?" she asked him sheepishly with a giggle.

Pause.

Shinji _blinked_ **hard**.

The girl blessed him a radiant smile, completely unfazed by the absurdity of her statement. Did she honestly think he was a "Space Alien"? She could not be serious, could she?

For the first time in his long career, the human boy turned _Karas_ did not know what to say. Should he try to reply in a manner fitting with his false character, or should he just be himself, the real Ikari Shinji? The former option was not completely out of the question. With a little smooth acting, he could likely convince her that --- oh, who was he trying to fool? Himself? Get out of here!

"...Are you for real?" Shinji blurted out tersely, his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment.

As soon as the words left his mouth, "Angel" burst into a fit of wild laughter, clutching helplessly at her sides. She hopped from foot to foot, flitting here and there almost as if in a dance, twirling about like a fairy. Her dark blue hair seemed to glitter and twinkle in the sunlight, flowing and twisting on the wind to the rhythm of her body, and he could not help but be mesmerized by it all.

Somehow, watching her "dance" soothed the void within his soul, and for a moment, he was even tempted to laugh and join her infectious joy. He felt good, more whole than he had in a long while, not even killing that supposed Messenger of God yesterday could compare. It was like the first time he finally found Suiguntou.

Suddenly, Shinji felt a pair of lithe arms embrace him and found the dark-haired snuggling up against him with a elfin giggle. The enervating scent of sweet mint and the saltine ocean combined with the warmth of her body instantly melted all resistance on his part. Euphoria blasted his higher senses into oblivion, and before he knew it, his hands sought her out, encircling her slim waist and holding her gently to which he was rewarded with a blissful squeal.

"I knew it. I knew it. I knew it all along!" she spoke excitedly to him. "Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. Some day --- some day, you would come for me. Always. Always! Waiting. Always waiting... Alone. All alone. I've been waiting for you, and you've finally came, Shinji-kun!"

The Ikari boy could not believe his ears. "You've --- you've been waiting --- for me?"

"_Uuun_-_unn_! Always. For a long time, as long as I can remember, always waiting just for you."

"Is this a...dream?" This can't be real, can it? Someone --- another had been waiting for me all this time? I didn't think there'd be anyone else besides Suiguntou. She was the only one, but now...

She laughed jovially even as she cried, the tears soaking straight through the flimsy material of his blazer. "Silly, don't I feel real to you, Shinji-kun? This body. Warm. The ocean. The wind against your face. The cool shade underneath Mori-san's arms. The grass underneath your feet. It's real, isn't it?"

"Well, I..."

"Oh, I see. You want more proof, don't you, _Ecchi_-kun?"

Before he knew what hit him, Angel had risen to her tiptoes and planted a brief chaste kiss on his lips. His brain overloaded, the electrifying sensation left him breathless along with a growing awareness of the --- intimate closeness between them, the shared warmth. He felt hot and heavy, his dazed blue eyes unable to part with hers, lost in the Siren's spell of this angel. Oh, Shinji knew how helpless he had become, weak and vulnerable, and at her complete mercy, like clay to be shaped and molded at her will.

She giggled mellifluously, her cheeks tinged with pink as she pressed a delicate finger on his lips. "_Ecchi_-_Ecchi_! Shinji-kun has a _bad _boy inside him, just like I dreamed."

"...Really...now?"

"_Uunn_, and he's so _kawaii_ too!"

Cute, huh? He had certainly been called many things...but _cute_? Never.

"So, are you going to ask me, Shinji-kun?"

"A...Ask you?" Ask her what? Her three sizes? Shoot, I'd say she's an Eighty-Four, Fifty-Four, Eighty --- in centimeters, of course, and as far as I'm concerned, she fits to me like a glove.

"_Mou_, _Shin_-_JI_-kun! Don't play so hard to get..."

"...Really?"

"Your goofy smile says it all, _Shin_-_ji_-_chan_."

"Hmm...I think I like the sound of that," laughed Shinji while Angel pouted cutely in reply.

"_Mou_, Shinji-kun! Ask me already... I know you want to...I can see it written all over your face."

"Ask you what, _Monsherii_?"

"Sh-Shinji-kun!" the dark-haired girl blushed in surprise. Apparently, she had not been expecting him to be so _forward_, but soon she gathered her resolve, puffing up her cheeks hotly. "_Mou_, you need to be more serious, and I bet you say that to all the girls you like."

"Well, there's one other..."

"Shinji! That's not fair. You're supposed to say that I'm the only one you say it to, and --- and I want to play with you too, you know. _Mou_, boys can be so insensitive to girls."

"Oh, really?"

"Please, please! _Onegai_-_desu_! Shin-chan, can you ask me, pretty please? It's right on the tip of your tongue and you know it too."

Right on the tip of his tongue, huh? Well, this was easier said than done. In spite of his own --- _faults_, Shinji felt he could believe what he experiencing right now was real. He had a million things he wanted to ask her, but where would he start?

Ask her who she is, _bakamono_, echoed a hollow whisper acidly at the back of his mind.

The Ikari boy smiled, not the slightest bit perturbed by the intrusion. He had long since gotten used to the voices that sometimes spoke to him, screamed at him, crying and wailing at him, and occasionally, they would even show him their faces. It was all in his head, of course, a sneak peak at all the madness and suffering in the world.

"Okay, who are you, _Shiroi Tenshi_-san?"

Angel beamed approvingly with a smile. "_Pin_-_pon_, and young Ikari Shinji-kun's finally on the right track, although the more important question is: who do you think I am?"

"Well, I don't know. That's why I'm asking, aren't I?"

"_Hnnn_, how about you think about it _this _way, Shinji-kun?"

"'_This way_'? What do you mean by that?"

"The Sun and the Moon. _Yin_ and _Yang_. Male and Female. Black and White. Being and Nonbeing. Life and Death. Past and Future. Good and Evil. Mind and Body. The Head dividing the Heart. Light and Dark. Active and Passive. Motion and Stillness. _Aizen_-_ji_: to love oneself and _Aizen_-_ta_: to love others. What do they all have in common?"

"...What?"

"You are You. I am I. Two becomes one, becomes four. Who am I?"

"You..."

"Who am I, Ikari Shinji?"

"Th-That's --- that's impossible! Y-You can't-"

"Who am I, Ikari Shinji?"

"You're...you're..."

This was not happening. What the hell was going on? The Angel's core! Could this all be some kind of-! No. No. No! She's smiling. She's smiling at me. No. NO! I can hear them again. All those little voices whispering in me head, like little knives sharpening themselves, rasping against steel. Blood, so much blood everywhere... _Father_... Mother! No, _Kaa_-chan, please don't go! I promise --- I promise I'll be best the boy... Agh! No. NO. This is all wrong. This is not happening to me. Make it stop; please, somebody make it stop!

"I am Ikari Shinji. I am _you_, and you are I, the one you were meant to be. It's nice finally to meet you, Shin... _Iie_. No. That's wrong. After all, that's not who you really are anymore is it --- _Kokuyou_ _no Kimi_?"

The Obsidian Lord.

* * *

With a shout, Shinji bolted upright out from underneath the cover of the white blankets. A sheen sweat coated his feverish body as his trembling eyes roamed wildly about the room, searching for something he could not find in the dim light of evening. Hungrily, he gobbled up the sanitized air with its lemony scent, breathing in sharply to let himself no that he had --- _escaped_, somehow. He did not know from where he had come from, but he had fled, and now, he was --- where was he? 

"Are you well, Third Child?" asked an emotionless voice, feminine but with none of the --- what? What was wrong with him? He felt like he had forgotten something; something very important. What?

When he did not respond, lost in his own thoughts apparently, the feminine presence prodded him once more, "Third Child, are you well?"

There was no response, of course. Shinji was lost. He was drowing in his own thoughts, trying desperately to remember, grasping at the silvery threads of his memory that eluded his hands, dissolving into nothingness as he drew nearer. The outside world came to him in bits and pieces, like impressions:

Lemon scented sanitized air.

The ambient hum of air conditioning flowing through the vents.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

The distant lights flooding into the dimly lit room through the windows.

The pure white linens of the bed he was in.

His nakedness with only the white blanket for modesty.

That's right. I must be in a hospital, thought the young Ikari with a shaken nod, as he felt the fiery tension in his body ebbing away. They --- they launched me up in an Evangelion, one of _Father_'s ridiculous toys, to fight the Angel. I beat it and got my prize, but after that... How did I get here?

"Pilot Ikari, please respond verbally."

Suddenly, Shinji was aware that he was not alone in this room. Glancing up, he saw an eerily familiar sight that he thought he would never see again, a figment of his imagination brought to life with astounding substance: snow white skin, azure blue hair, and red eyes. It was the same girl from earlier this morning, clad in a _seifuku_ that he supposed belonged to his new school, except she seemed to have been an accident. Bandages had been wrapped around her head, concealing some of her face and covering the left eye, while her right arm hung in a sling, broken apparently, judging by the cast that encased it.

He felt --- _uncomfortable _around her, something about her just rubbed him the wrong way, and in rare move where his true self actually followed his false character, the boy blushed and drew his blankets closer around him. His nakedness had turned into a glaring vulnerability in this mysterious girl's presence, and he cursed the doctors for stripping him of the protection of his clothes. They did not even have the decency to give a hospital gown!

"Um, uh..." Shinji stuttered timidly in reply.

The red --- no, crimson like blood --- crimson-eyed girl nodded her affirmation towards him, "That will suffice, Third Child."

"Wh-Who are you? Where-Where am I? And --- and, uh, what happened to my clothes?" Why can't I meet her eyes? She's just a girl! Well --- albino to be more precise, but still-!

"I am the First Child, Ayanami Rei. This is Room Three-Zero-One of NERV's I.C.U. ward. Your clothes were removed so that the physicians and nurses could provide better medical attention for your needs."

"The Intensive Care Unit ward? But --- but what happened to me? The --- the Angel! What about the Angel?"

"We won."

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, here it is my hip-hip-hurrah! for New Years Eve --- episode three; Infinite Time back for another performance by demand. This chapter probably would not arrived as soon without your input, so thank you very much reviewers. Now, what can I say? Are we getting echoes of _RahXephon _here or what? Shinji is _not _Shinji anymore? There is _another _Shinji --- a _girl_ no less? What is this about an _Obsidian Lord_? Are we getting another reference here? What the heck happened in that gap of time Shinji was unconscious?

Well, we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

For those of you who have tuned in, I'd like to thank you all very much for your patronage, and I always encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often).

Well, that wraps it up, folks, so until the next time we meet in 2006: A happy New Year to y'all

P.S. The "Dream Girl" pretty much looks like Yuuki Kusakabe from To Heart 2. Hmmmm...

_Tsudzuku_!


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Disclaimer: 

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creative property of GAINAX, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Anything not attributed to GAINAX belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Rozen Maiden that is the creation of Peach-Pit, Full Metal Panic! is the creation of Shikidouji and Shouji Gatou, Shakugan no SHANA is the creation of Yashichiro Takahashi, The Karas is the creation of Tatsunoko, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a college student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!

The Surgeon General's Warning:

Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, not to mention some definite parts for Mayumi Yamagishi, Mana Kirishima, and more to come.

* * *

Where Infinite Time Stood Still, The World Consumed in Flame

_Ore wa jankku ja ne_/ I'm not junk!

Chapter 04:

Temporary Stay?

A Super-sized NGE fic by James "Ray" Edwards

* * *

"Uh, well, this is your apartment, Shinji-kun," Misato chirped as cheerfully as she could manage, although it was rather obvious that her good cheer was --- forced.

Considering how her day had turned out, Shinji supposed it was understandable, as she had been delivered "damaged" goods. The much-hyped Evangelion, Mankind's ultimate weapon against the Angels, was now worthless thanks to the efforts of the ever so brilliant Marduk Institution who had reputedly selected the "best" pilot candidate possible. However, Ikari Shinji was anything but the "best," the words "pathetic," "pitiful," "spineless," and "useless" suited him much better.

She had an impotent weapon, the weapon that was to be the answer to her prayers and many others, and it now stood "sleeping" soundly in the EVA cages, undisturbed in a pool of LCL, and inactive. Ayanami Rei, the only other pilot NERV possessed, was still not cleared to return to active duty, and even then, she had failed to activate both Evangelion units so far. Thus, the existence of NERV had become a complete absurdity, and the UN had been more than glad to needle and brow beat her to death over the simple fact.

Everyone had chewed her out; after all, she was "THE Head of Operations" at NERV, or in other words, the "ranking" _military _personnel in charge of its operations. If something went wrong, then by George W. Bush, it must have been her fault! Oh, and how those big shots _loved _to kick and scream like big grown gorillas at her...

To make a long story short, this was the end of a very, very "SY" day and the start of even longer night. Captain Katsuragi's bedside manner had long taken the night off to visit a few bars, get roaring drunk, and find a decent lay before stopping by the love motels. There was no use denying it, and she had told him frankly in the car ride over:

"We won by a _fluke_, Shinji-kun. One second the Angel was there; the next second, it was gone. No traces. Nothing. Nadda. Zip. Just gone. No new signs of combat from your sortie or anything, except for the building you were thrown through. That's it."

Of course, Shinji knew better to let old dogs lie dead, but the "real" Ikari Shinji did not know, and he would just have to needle Captain Katsuragi some more with his loathsome self-pity. Besides, from what she had told him in a relatively sedate bus ride over to the apartment condominium complex he would staying at, they would be almost next door neighbors. She lived exactly seven doors down the hall away from him, and if he ever needed anything, he should feel free to drop by in person.

This was purely for fun...

"It's my fault, isn't it, Captain Katsuragi?" he began in his painstakingly practiced timid voice, hitting just the right pitch that would have sent the skin of any decent self-respecting person cringing. He was damned good at it and damned proud of it too. Perhaps, he should even consider getting into acting school and becoming a big time movie star, and wouldn't that be a huge "180" for "Mr. Doom and Gloom" Ikari Shinji?

Misato winced at the boy's painful tone. She really did not want to deal with teenage angst right now. Gosh, she had enough of her own to go around; where was a beer when she needed one? Still, she did feel kind of bad for him, and she still could not believe that Commander Ikari would not even take in his own son, not to mention the way he had conned Shinji into piloting. The famed "Emperor of Central Dogma" was even more of a bastard than she previously thought.

"Don't be silly, Shinji-kun!" the violet-haired woman laughed, forcing out a toothy grin. "Even if it was a fluke, at least it was a good one, right?"

"But --- But I didn't do anything useful at all, Cap-"

"Hey now, no need to be so formal. I'm definitely your commanding officer, but we're off duty _technically _right now, so feel free to call me just 'Misato' or 'Misato-san,' all right?"

"Err...but, Mi--Misa-to-san, I didn't-"

"Oh, don't worry about it. That's my job, Shinji-kun."

The woman was being unusually resilient, he noted with an internal smirk. Perhaps, it was time he turned up the heat a notch. "But aren't they going to send me home?"

"Huh?" Misato blinked. Did she miss something in the conversation here?

"Misato-san, a pilot that can't fight is a liability --- a good-for-nothing. ...I heard, you know."

Ouch, this is going to be difficult. How am I supposed to reply to something like that? "Well...you're not exactly wrong, but you're not exactly right either, Shinji-kun."

"But I'm borderline... Just barely good enough to activate the Evangelion."

"You're untrained, Shinji-kun, and even if you're the best pilot candidate the Marduk Institution selected, it still doesn't change the fact that we threw straight to the wolves in your first sortie without any prior training. Considering everything, we're lucky to be alive."

Instead of consoling him, the last remark only made him hang his head low in shame where a moody sigh escaped his lips. Misato cursed herself at her folly, wondering just how much damage she had done to Shinji's fragile ego. He was soft, just too soft! What in God's name could have happened to him in the past to make him like this?

"Misato-san, how many casualties were there?" the boy asked her solemnly, his voice subdued and terse.

It was a question she honestly did not want to answer, but if she lied to him now --- well, it would be just too obvious. She was not a "smart" talker like Ritsuko who could use her logic and science to confuse and evade the important questions, nor did she have Commander Ikari's ominous powerful presence. At this point in time, Captain Katsuragi Misato wished she really was _Captain_ Katsuragi Misato and not just --- Misato.

She sighed, messaging her temple with the palm of her hand. "You wouldn't want to know, Shinji-kun..."

"That many...?"

"There was one miracle today though, if you can call it that."

"One?"

"Yup, Mari Suzuhara: the world's luckiest twelve-year-old. She's stable right now and is being kept in the I.C.U. ward at Mashiro General Hospital near downtown."

"I see. ..._Father_ won't stand for this. It's a disgrace, and when he can find a better pilot, he'll get rid of me for sure."

"You should go see her."

Now, this piqued Shinji's interest, although he could not afford to show it, of course. Why would the Katsuragi woman want him to get see someone whom he had potentially scarred for life if not worse? "Wha-What?"

"You should go see her, Shinji-kun, and you might just be surprised yourself."

"Huh?"

"You'll see, you'll see." And with any luck, it might just do you some good. Sheesh, I'm starting to wonder seriously if I should take the kid in myself, but considering everything that's happened, that bastard Ikari will probably deny me flat out. Oh well, I guess the best I can do is push Shinji-kun in the right direction. "I gotta go, so take care of yourself, you hear?"

"Wa-Wait! What am I-"

"What do you think, Shinji-kun? Settle in, of course. You've already got your official IDs, cellular phones, paper work, apartment stuff, and --- more stuff. School starts tomorrow and some guys in black from Section-Two will be around to pick you up. If you want, they can show you around town too."

"I...well..."

"Oh, and make some friends, Shinji-kun! This is a fresh start for you, so just enjoy it while it lasts. It doesn't matter how long you're going to be here, just enjoy life as you want to while you're here. You're never going to get another opportunity quite like this, a genuine once in a lifetime experience, so lighten up some, okay?"

"I --- all right, Misato-san..."

Misato beamed at her small victory. Maybe she would be able to make it through the night, after all. "Good, that's the way. Oh, and I almost forgot, your NERV ID card also doubles up as a credit and/or debit card. We've already loaded your checking account pretty good-"

"Wait, you mean I-"

"Of course, you get PAID, Shinji-kun! And from what I think Ritsu-chan told me, there should be enough in there to buy a tank for starters!"

"Wha-WHAT? You're kidding!"

"Well, I might be exaggerating some, but you pilots actually do get paid more than me when you tally up all the benefits, hazard pay, and all."

"O-Okay..."

"I'm sure you can figure it out dinner on your own, but if you're looking for some real food, there's a super market and a '24/7' convenience store around here somewhere too. Ring up Section-Two, if you need directions. Speed dial number Three, I think. The place is furnished, all set up, and you're things are already all inside too. All you've got to do now is just unpack, think you can manage?"

With this much said, Shinji figured there was nothing he really wanted to do to spoil Captain Katsuragi's change of mood for the better, so he gave his farewells and bid her a good evening. The violet-haired woman had strolled away with a noticeable spring to her step, though he was admiring anything but her beauty. From their conversation just now, he concluded quite simply that Katsuragi Misato was dangerous; not because she was the perfect soldier, but because she was an _imperfect_ soldier of the worst kind.

The kind of soldier that had an old enduring spirit. She might act much younger than her years, but there was no question that behind all that eccentricities was a reckless force to be reckoned. Of course, this did not mean she was a treasure worth coveting, but at the same time, Captain Katsuragi --- no --- Misato was a woman he would have to keep an eye on. If he got careless, she would be the first to know the difference.

Hmph, how troublesome. To actually have a woman like that care about me, Shinji noted with a mild frown, shouldering the new backpack given to him by NERV that contained his other "new things." Whatever, I'll deal with her when the time comes, but right now, let's go wake up Gin-chan, shall we?

Swiping the keycard through the card reader, an audible mechanical click announced the door to his apartment was open, and the young Ikari casually let himself in. The lights came on automatically with his presence, a nice little convenience of modern living that he had encountered a few years back in a rather --- bizarre predicament. Fully furnished, it was a cozy enough apartment Shinji supposed, probably too big for just one person, complete with a living room, kitchen, and three bedrooms. There was even an outdoor balcony that could be accessed from the living room, sporting a fairly impressive vista of the "machine city."

Too bad there was no laundry room; he'd have to look for a local Laundromat later...

Of course, he surveyed his entire new "domain" while he still wearing his shoes on indoors, a huge snub in the face of traditional Japanese etiquette. The blue-eyed boy, honestly, did not mind walking around in his own shoes indoors, and besides, all of this was already paid for by --- _Father_ --- so why should he care? Heck, why should he even care about the things he wore? It was not as if they really, truly _his_ possessions.

Shedding his false mask, Shinji wrinkled his nose in distaste. _Aa_, the only thing in this place that really belongs to me is Suiguntou. Now, where would did they put her down? Those incompetent nincompoops better have showed her some proper respect; otherwise, their _will_ be Hell to pay.

Tossing off his backpack onto the couch, he glanced about and quickly spotted a small pile of things set down in the hallway that he recognized as his meager possessions. It was quite pathetic really, but three small cartons and a modest suitcase was all "Ikari Shinji" amounted to, and yet amidst this appalling sight was something that made it all worth it, his most prized treasure of them all. Suiguntou's orgel was an exquisitely handcrafted "briefcase" of burnished mahogany, rich and reddish-brown, with polished brass joints and embellished with brass vines and thorns inscribed into the surface. The tell-tale golden rose inset into the center of the body marked it clearly as one of Rozen's masterpieces.

Suiguntou had been at a loss for words, a fact she grudgingly admitted to him a year or so later after there first meeting, when he declared that her "box" was an "orgel," in other words a music box. For the first time, she had been torn with conflicting emotions: angry that he would insult the flawless construct her "Father" had made for her, and at the same time, startlingly --- gratified to hear such a compliment. It was the first honest thing he had been able to say to her, and some six years later now, he did not regret spending a moment with his black angel.

Four years he had been trapped in the dark, blind and deaf, groping around for something, anything to guide him. Four years since he had met "That Man," a person he had named Gespenst in his later years. After all, he was very much like a ghost, as Shinji had never seen him again, and yet, he was the one most responsible for why "Ikari Shinji" had become what he was today. Gespenst had offered him power, and in the process, he had transformed into something --- _inhuman_.

He was not a demon by the denotation of the word, like the _youkai_ and _mikura_. Also, he was not a Flame Haze or a Tomogara, the Lords of _Guze_ --- the Crimson World ---who were neither flesh and blood or some spiritual construct, as they had long since transcended simple mortality to true existence. The closest thing that came to match what he had become were _Karas_, and even then it was difficult to say what a _Karas_ was exactly. Like the _Guze_, they had transcended mortality as well, except in a slightly _different _manner.

Anyhow, he supposed he should not dawdle any longer. Suiguntou had been very insistent that she be awakened as soon as possible so that she may take stock of their temporary residence or wherever. Understandably, she had expressed serious doubts about going to sleep, and it had taken a considerable effort to convince her that everything would turn out just fine. He was her precious medium, a fact she reminded him every day, and if anything happened to him, she would be very, very displeased.

With the utmost care, as if he were bearing the Holy Grail in his grasp, Shinji grasped the orgel and brought into the living room, setting it down beside him on the couch. His hands shook with fiery excitement, a rare smile lighting his face, as he undid the latches and gently propped the case open. Oh, he knew it was one of those "undignified" things Suiguntou hated to see in him, but he just could not help it. It was just the way he was, a boy who never had anything of his own, craving everything in the world, and every time he opened his treasures felt just like the first time.

The inside of the orgel was padded with red velvet, almost like a bed, and there his black angel lay in silent repose. Twin black wings lay curled against the small figure within, a girl-child cruel and beautiful all at once. Clad in an elaborate, regal pseudo Gothic-Victorian dress of dark blues and white lace, the white crosses marked the sword-like pleats of her skirt. The dark blue choker encircling her throat matched the lace headpiece she wore through her long fine silver hair that flowed to her waist. Black ribbons and amethyst roses, the same color as her eyes, complimented her slim figure along side the snug, feminine dark blue riding boots that reached the tops of her white lacy bloomers.

This was Suiguntou the Mercury _Lampe_, his black angel, and the _First _Rozen Maiden Doll. Six years they had been together; six years since he had found her in that old abandoned church on the outskirts Kyoto. In reflection, chances were that she had been planted there, that someone had wanted him to find her, but Shinji did not care, did not mind at all; it was because of her he had found a reason to go on living.

Why did he do it? For revenge. For lust. For greed. For power. And for the love of the Black Angel that guided him straight through the pyres of Hell. That was all he needed to keep going.

Alas, she would have to sleep a little longer...

Dispassionately, Shinji closed the orgel and turned towards the source of the disturbance. A strong wind was blowing through the opened transparent screen door to the balcony with a faint howl, sending the curtains billowing in its flow. It was a curious sight certainly, as he recalled the door had been closed when he arrived. Strolling into the kitchen, he spied a set of knives in a wooden receptacle, none that suited his fancy really, and so he looked around some more, particularly the drawers.

_Hoooo_, a cleaver --- now, that's what I'm talking about, the young man grinned with an eerie gleam in his blue eyes.

Armed sufficiently, as he possessed a decent impromptu weapon that was capable of both lethal and non-lethal means of attack, Shinji proceeded back to the living room and out onto the balcony. The night's air was cool and light, the pale full moon hanging like a white beacon in the dark sky. As far as his eyes could see, the machine city of Tokyo-3 in all of its electric and artificial glory spread out like a vast labyrinth of steel and radioactive neon colors.

High and low he searched the balcony, the lights reflecting off the silvery edge of his newly acquired meat cleaver. Someone had come for him; this much he was certain because he had definitely opened the window. _Father_ --- may have thought him naive, but he was no fool, and to the best of his knowledge, agents from Section-2 were supposed to be watching his apartment: where were they? They would not happen to have conveniently disappeared at a time like this, would they?

Shinji chuckled darkly and closed his eyes, reaching out with his other senses. The first thing he noticed was the astonishing amount of the power of existence stored in this place. In his mind's eye, as far as he could see, there were Torches _everywhere_, temporary replacements for the leftover shells of humans consumed by Tomagara. They were like little blue flames gliding ethereally hither and thither, carrying out their fleeting final moments in complete ignorance, but this was not the point of his search.

He turned his focus towards the apartment complex, expanding his will until it filled every inch of the place.

Nothing. There's nothing here at all: lifeless and dead, thought Shinji with a perturbed scowl. Not even the rats and roaches are alive. All gone.

A city of Torches, a dead city, and he could only wonder if there was any life here at all because even Nature had become artificial here. The only two things he was certain that lived here was Suiguntou, his dearest black angel, and himself. She was the glowing crystal of graceful violet amethyst, magnificent and deadly, and he was the obsidian diamond, black as night, shimmering with stars that consumed and gorged upon the light of all things.

Obsidian.

Heh, how strange that it would be his "color," though it certainly was appropriate, considering the terrible being he had become. He still bled crimson red, felt the pain of sorrow and hunger, desired the flesh and the material, and yet, he had become incomprehensibly powerful. In a way, Shinji reckoned he was just like --- _Father_ --- except with more power at his immediate command than the damned contemptible bastard could ever dream of to grasp.

"Guess it was just my paranoia," sighed the black-haired boy with a shrug, opening his eyes once more to the world. He did not like to admit it all too often, but he was certifiably crazy. It was probably part of the reason why "Ikari Shinji" never was able to make many friends, as that kind of reputation tended to stay with an individual as trouble as himself. With that said, he wondered if the people at NERV, specifically _Father_ and Captain Katsuragi, had read his psychological profile yet?

Hmm, Shinji felt he would find out soon enough. Now then, time to put away this ridiculous meet cleaver back where it belongs, although he would have loved to see its effect on a human being. It was something he would have to wait and see in the fu-

Thud.

Shinji **froze**. His blue eyes bulging in disbelief, shadows wreathing his young face in a grotesque snarl. Someone this **big** had snuck up on --- _him_? Impossible.

A gloved hand shot out from the hooded figure, the slap of leather seizing his throat roughly, as it lifted him into the air. He gurgled from the shock, his free hand grasping a hold of the intruder's wrist instinctively. It was thick, unbelievably thick, his fingers unable to encircle the entire wrist as his vision shook with hazy bubbles, the deadly vice grip tightening around his throat. Black seemed to invade his periphery from all sides, a sure sign that he was losing air fast, before he even had a chance to get a good look at his would-be killer.

Pins and needles filling his lungs, the pain lighting his veins on fire, Shinji swung at the fading vague shape with his occupied hand, praying that he had not dropped the meat cleaver. However, instead of being rewarded with the audible gut-wrenching spurt of blood erupting from crushed flesh and bone, the dull shriek of metal shattering in two greeted his ears. The terrible jolt rifled through his arm, dropping the now broken meat cleaver that clattered ineffectually on the ground.

What the hell?

The vice grip on his throat tightened, eliciting a choked yelp, as tears dribbled from his eyes. He could feel the intruder moving in a kind of odd heavy lopping gait, not something Shinji would exactly call human. Even the most heavyset of "fates" he had met in his years did not move like this!

Suddenly, the wind howled murderously, ruffling his clothes and hair, and it made his blood run cold. Now, a piece of the intricate puzzle became clear to him, hanging here in mid-air with his feet dangling over the edge of the balcony railing: this bastard was an assassin! The drop was at least six stories high, if he recalled correctly, and plenty well enough to kill him in his human form unless...

No, I don't need to use my power for a measly pawn like this, thought Shinji bitterly. It's beneath --- me! And I'll prove it to you: Rokubungi. _GENDO_.

Mustering his rapidly dwindling strength, the black-haired boy threw his all into a deadly gambit. He swung his body up, latching onto the extended limb as if he were a monkey, hooking his left leg around the arm, and dumped the remainder of his strength into a whistling kick from his right. The satisfying shudder from the jarring impact signaled the abrupt release of the death grip, sending him seemingly outwards into oblivion, but Shinji was not done yet.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!" he hollered in a grisly rasp, pulling the larger body off the balcony with him.

Air screamed past his ears, the force of gravity accelerating their bodies into free fall, as he detached off the limb and rolled onto the assassin's body, a vague black mass in his interrupted. Shifting his weight, Shinji flipped himself on top, driving his shoulder into the man's stomach, and threw his arms around in a deadly embrace. The loud violent flutter of his billowing clothes, seconds remaining: he held on for all he was worth as the body underneath him struggled to dislodge him.

"I got this from a game! '_It's not the fall that kills you_, _IT'S THE **IMPACT**_,' YOU STUPID SONUVA-"

Crash!

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

Author's Notes:

Almost a month later, and finally, episode 04 is here! Sorry, if you guys didn't catch the lyrics from the last episode, I thought I made it relatively obvious it was from the opening theme of RahXephon "Hemisphere," but oh well, no harm done. On the subject of "excessive" Japanese, if I feel like using it, I'm going to use it, but I usually try to make it sensible in the context, so it's not particular important to know exactly what it means. If you really want to know what it means, just feel free to e-mail me, PM me, or whatever floats your boat, a'ight?

On another note, dang --- is Shinji the man or what? He was going to take it the rim with a cleaver! He sure does have a lot angst to go with it though... Just what exactly happened to him before he came to Tokyo-3? Is he going to be the hospital after falling from six stories up, using someone else as a cushion? How will NERV react? Will they even find out? And did Gendo really send someone to kill his own son? He's not THAT big of a you-know-what is he? If so, what's his motivation anyway?

Well, we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

For those of you who have tuned in, I'd like to thank you all very much for your patronage, and I always encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often).

Well, that wraps it up, folks, so until the next time we meet (probably in Feburary): Take care y'all!

P.S. If you know which game Shinji is talking about, mad bonus points to you! So what if it's Vin Diesel? The Necromonger boss fight rocked!

_Tsudzuku_!


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Disclaimer: 

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creative property of GAINAX, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Anything not attributed to GAINAX belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Rozen Maiden that is the creation of Peach-Pit, Full Metal Panic! is the creation of Shikidouji and Shouji Gatou, Shakugan no SHANA is the creation of Yashichiro Takahashi, The Karas is the creation of Tatsunoko, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a college student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!

The Surgeon General's Warning:

Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, not to mention some definite parts for Mayumi Yamagishi, Mana Kirishima, and more to come.

* * *

Where Infinite Time Stood Still, The World Consumed in Flame

_Ore wa jankku ja ne_/ I'm not junk!

Chapter 05:

First Impressions

A Super-sized NGE fic by James "Ray" Edwards

* * *

The bowels of somewhere, elsewhere, anywhere, and nowhere all at once was not a place to be taken likely by the common man. In this black chamber illuminated by the radiant pool of a long table, long enough to seat twelve altogether, the most powerful, influential, and wise council to be ever be seated. Here: prophets, apostles, visionaries, presidents, prime ministers, generals, emperors, kings, lords, tyrants, and dictators have all made their presence known before the "Old Men."

Standing at the edge of the light, visible only by the gleaming white glare reflecting off his glasses, Ikari Gendo, however, was none of the above. Better yet, he was above all that, higher than any mere foolish man for he was the man who would become God. A supreme being, perfect and all knowing, and using that power he would set right all that was wrong beginning with the most important thing in the entire universe:

Yui.

Everything was for Yui, including the murder --- no --- the disposal of that worthless trash, Ikari Shinji. Today's battle proved through and through, that the boy was unfit to live, something meaningless, fatuous, and absurd, his existence unnecessary. It was an unexpected setback in the scenario, but no matter, a suitable replacement could be found quickly enough, and as long as he still had Rei and Lilith in his possession, everything would go as planned. All that remained was to acquire Adam and see to the boy's funeral...

"We failed," spoke a disembodied voice, reverberating throughout the ambient chamber.

Silence.

"What?" Gendo replied to the voice, cold as death and harder than steel.

The voice continued to speak, unfazed and unhurried by his dominating presence, beautiful beyond even the best of tenors known in the world, and to think it really belonged to a man, "Your _son _is much more tenacious and resourceful than you believe him to be, Gendo-kun. In fact, he may not be what he appears to be at all, and by far, much more."

"I have no son, Director."

"A-hahaha, fair enough, but if we assumed for the sake of argument, at least we know where his survival instincts come from. A hard man just like you, isn't he? To think he managed to cause enough damage to one of my Alastors' to prompt its self-preservation protocol is simply phenomenal, and he was armed with only a butcher knife too."

"Contingency plans?"

"Don't worry, we at **Amalgam **will address this concern in due time. Nothing rash for now, as Shinji-kun will undeniably be on the alert, that is if he manages to pull himself out of the wreckage of the Mazda RX-Nine he just so happened to plunge into along with Alastor. I wonder if somebody's called Nine-One-One yet?"

"I could order an overdose in the ICU."

"Uh-uh, Gendo-kun, I did say, '_Nothing rash for now_,' didn't I? Remember, the Old Men still have the impression that they're the ones in charge, and we can't have you giving us away now, can we?"

"I see..."

"We're still analyzing the battle data from Alastors's databanks and how to best approach Shinji-kun's liquidation next time, but in the meantime, may I suggest you keep safe, Gendo-kun?"

"It will be his last mistake."

"Ah-hahaha, so you say, but don't make the greater mistake of underestimating the boy --- twice."

"Do we have a replacement?"

"The two pilot candidates you mentioned to the Old Men: Suzuhara Touji and Aida Kensuke will be satisfactory. We can have Unit-Three ready by the end of the week."

"Won't that be suspicious?"

"Not to worry, Gendo-kun. Have we ever let you down when it mattered?"

Gendo did not reply, but it appeared that the glowing lenses of his glasses flashed brighter at the remark. "Hmmm..."

"_Fufufu_, but before I depart, have you decided which _one _shall pilot yet?" the Director asked him with a husky chuckle. Though he would never admit it aloud, Gendo privately hated this man with a passion: the nerve of that man, but if it was for Yui, there was nothing he could not endure. "After all, we only have _one _machine, don't we?"

"I shall do as the organization asks."

"Now, now, that's no fun, isn't it, Gendo-kun?"

"Hm."

"How about a game of chance?"

"Chance?"

"That's right. Heads: Touji-kun. Tails: Kensuke-kun. Who shall the lucky hot-blooded boy be?"

"Agreed."

The fateful crisp ring of metal reverberated through the air carrying with it the lives and fates of millions in the gravity of one toss. Who shall become the chosen one? Who shall open the gates of the stairway to Heaven? Who will it be?

Snatch.

"Well, well, what do you know? I always did like war-minded mecha _otaku_. Hot-blooded. So full of life and righteousness, a hero of yore and legends waiting to come out into reality given the power."

"Aida Kensuke."

"Yes, Aida Kensuke-kun it shall be, and I expect nothing but the best for him, understand, Gendo-kun? Firearms. Battle tactics. Physical training. Martial arts. Medical care to clean out any defects. Everything. Nothing but the best. If a pauper cannot do it, then a prince shall."

"Understood."

"Oh and one more thing..."

"Yes?"

"Break it to him in person, won't you, Gendo-kun? I'm certain he'll be quite impressed --- in fact, show up at his school with a full entourage. Black limousines. SUVs. Sedans. A UN hovercopter. Arm slaves. Do it all. Make it like a dream come true. An anime. The stuff of fiction and epics. I want this young man to be --- _blown_ out of his socks, understood?"

That bastard.

"Aye, Director Leonard Testarossa."

* * *

When he came to finally, Shinji found himself face to face with several unexpected realities: there was the unexpected ceiling for starters, and the unexpected lack thereof an --- _unpleasant _bed of jagged aluminum alloy jabbing every centimeter of his flesh. In its place, was the unexpected presence of a relatively pleasant mattress with the covers and pillows exactly where they should be for his needs. To top it off, there was not a scratch on him, making it seem like last night never happened. Of course, if he dared to believe in such a trivial thing, would he not just be deluding himself and proving true the notion that he really was crazy?

Well, duh, I'm crazy. At least, about love anyway, the young man reminded himself as he sat up and took stock of his situation in greater detail.

The curtains had been pulled shut, dampening the blazing light of the rising sun to a dim trickle, just enough for him to make out the things in the rooms. It was fully furnished, of course, as promised but there was peculiar oddity, that is someone had gone through the trouble of unpacking all of his things and arranging them as he preferred. In fact, it was exactly to his tastes, such as his cello case set against the book case right where he would have wanted.

Whoever had done this knew him all too well, and there was only one person he knew of --- a girl --- who knew him better than himself. The silver rose ring on his left hummed with a faint amethyst light, pulling his senses towards what he sought. She was sitting on the dresser, slumped against the attached mirror in apparent deathly repose, with her orgel's case wide open beside her. At first glance, Suigintou might have seemed to be an imitation, a doll masquerading as a girl-child, but she was so much more than mere appearance.

I wonder how she managed to move without me winding her up? Shinji wondered as he rose out of the western-style bed and padded over, taking the slumbering little angel into his arms lovingly. So enthralled by the moment, he did not even notice that his clothes had been changed to more casual "sleepwear" either: a set of boxers and a tank top undershirt, and various bandages. Long sleeps still tend to make her atrophy up some, despite all the flaws we corrected from Rozen's madness. Damn her Father and his foul magic, but I guess --- wonders'll never cease with her. My Black Angel.

A glance at the black cat-faced clock on the wall revealed, unfortunately, that he would not have much time to spend with her this morning. He had a good hour left to get to school, but before then, he could spare some time to at least wind her up properly. After all, Suigintou would be very displeased, if he let her sleep too long, as she plenty of things to do as well. The young man suspected her experiments would become that much more outlandish with the great harvest of "_Layze_," the power of existence, he had recently acquired by defeating that fake "Angel" that NERV feared so much.

The wind up key was in her orgel as always, a golden exquisitely crafted piece that perhaps would have been more suited to open some kind of treasure. Then again, Suigintou was a treasure more than worthy of such a device. Seven turns was all it took to spin her up, a familiar musical whine accompanying the turning of the magical gears and clockwork, and what his angel preferred. Seven for the seven Rozen Maiden dolls; it was to remind her of a battle she had yet to finish, but something that could be won at anytime with him at her side.

After all, he was her _Chevalier_: the person, the _meister_, the _man _truly destined to be by her side, always, and not just some trial medium. As long as he was with her, nothing could kill him nor could anything dream of harming her. He was immortal as was she, and only if Death claimed them both would they ever be apart.

Setting the golden key aside back into the orgel, Shinji watched with silent fascination as the little black-winged angel in his arms stirred. The limbs and wings of her artificial body twitched and convulsed, the weak flow of mana strengthening into a sudden surge, her beautiful twisting and turning, while the delicate amethyst eyes beneath those eyelids roamed, awakening from a long slumber. Finally, there was the climax of breath, a gasp of life as she rose up, eyes wide and piercing, a beautiful feral snarl on her face, before falling limp in his arms once more, weary and tired.

"Dreaming weren't you?" he remarked amiably, smiling when he saw her expression soften at the sight of him.

Suigintou spoke in a hoarse whisper, her rich feminine voice strangely weak, "...Shin-ji?"

"_Aa_, I am."

"Shin...ji..."

"Wow, you must've worn yourself out last night, Suigintou. Sorry, about the car and turning myself into a bloody metal mess, and on top of that, you had to set the apartment in order. Oh, I just noticed the bandages. Thanks!"

"C-Car... Bloo-od... A-Apart-ment... Ban-dages..."

Shinji frowned. Something was wrong with this picture, granted his angel could be a little dazed waking up from a long sleep, but that was rare and far. Suigintou was meticulous at keeping track of time, her memories sharper than a razor edge, and weakness even in herself was not something she tolerated for long. What was wrong with her? She seemed almost --- feverish?

"Hey, Suigintou, do you remember any of last night?"

"Last...night..."

"Do you?"

"N-No... Shin-ji...I don't re-mem-ber."

"...you're joking, aren't you?"

"No... I-I..."

"Suigintou, are you all right?"

"Tir-Tired. Re-rest... So much..._Layze_. I need more --- rest."

"Wait, don't sleep yet."

She frowned at him in open irritation, a spark of her former strength returning for a brief moment, before relenting with a sigh, "Shin-ji?"

"S-Sorry," Shinji apologized habitually with a blush, which only made her frown again. Curses, why was he acting so much like "Ikari Shinji" at a time like this? No, he must not waste her time. Suigintou was weak and she needed her rest now! "Ack, it's just that-sorry!"

"**Quickly **--- _speak _--- Shin-ji."

"All right, um, just look: if it wasn't you who did this? Then who?"

She did not say a word, she did not know, and if she did not know, it could only mean one thing:

Trouble.

* * *

The constant rambling hum of conversation, the conspiring whispers, and the amateurish "I'm-really-not-looking-at-you-but-I-am" glances were starting to honestly, definitely, and undeniably --- irritate the hell out of him. At least, those two black guards from NERV's security division had the decency to keep to themselves as they escorted him to school and settled him in promptly with little mess and great efficiency. They knew well enough that getting attached was a mistake, but these _kids_, well, apparently they never got the memo.

_Torches_, a temporary replacements for humans eaten by _Tomagara_. Why are there so many of them? Shinji ruminated in barely restrained disgust, as he surveyed the bustling classroom with the timid uneasiness of "Ikari Shinji."

With a little concentration, the false images gave way to transparent containers in the shapes of their former human bodies where a bright blue flame hung suspended in mid-air. Wherever he looked their were Torches, and he suspected the school's principal and much of the staff were the same, though he had yet to look into the conditions of the NERV personnel or --- _Father_. Everyone in this room was already dead...

"Excuse me, Ikari-san?" a girl's voice prodded him, calm and confident, drawing his attention away from his many growing problems. This had better be good.

...addendum: there was someone else still alive in this room.

Shinji blinked at the sight of the her: the brown hair, freckles, two short ponytails hanging off the back, and not to hard on the eyes either. He supposed she was an all-around "nice" girl, the sort most young men would have taken home to their mothers, but she paled in comparison to Suigintou. If it were not for the requirements of his character as "Ikari Shinji," he might just decide to have a little "fun" with her, as uptight girls like this freckled tart needed to learn to --- loosen up some.

"Ikari-san, why are you staring at me?"

"Ye-Yes...Ack! S-Sorry, I-I --- I didn't-"

The flutter of laughter and catcalls was expected, "Oh, look! The new kid's making a move on Horaki-_iincho_san," but it was not something he minded. Human behavior was predictable, and since this girl was the class representative, her reaction was just as scripted:

"Ignore them, please, Ikari-san. OBVIOUSLY, Kitamura-kun over there can't get himself a girlfriend!"

"Ah, _h_-_hai_, _Iincho_-san," Shinji reacted with a weak chuckle, as everyone else gave a loud "Ooooooooo! He got told!" to the unfortunate target of the Horaki girl's anger. Still, he had to wonder how she knew his name already? "Um, excuse me, but-"

"You are Ikari Shinji-san, Student Number Thirty-One of Class Two-A, aren't you?"

"Uh, I --- well, yeah, I guess."

"Thank goodness! You just suddenly got added to the class roll at the last minute all of a sudden, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to meet you in time before Arisaka-sensei got here. I'm the class representative of Two-A, Horaki Hikari: nice to meet you, Ikari-kun."

"Uh, y-yeah, nice to meet you too, Ho-raki-san."

Hikari beamed openly at him with a bright smile, "Please, '_Hikari_-san' will be enough, and if you ever need any help figuring out how things work around here, just ask me. It's my job to look after the other students, after all!"

How can she smile so easily over a troublesome thing like that? _Che_, she must have siblings or something that she takes care of, that Horaki-san, thought Shinji warily with a weak smile. "_H_-_Hai_, I'll be sure to remem-"

"_OI_! _Iincho_, wha'cha doin' over there?" another voice interrupted before he could finish.

There were two boys approaching his desk: the tall athletic one clad in a track suit from head to toe that he pretty sure was not uniform standard, while the shorter bespectacled one looked like a mess with his shirt untucked, his trousers rumbled, and his hair wild as if he had just woken up. "Four eyes" seemed harmless enough with his easygoing smile, a digital camera in one hand and his school bag in the other, but the "Jock" was a different story altogether. He did not look like it, yet something about the air he carried and the sparks flashing in his eyes that he was not happy in the slightest bit. Of course, Shinji supposed it figured somehow that these two were still alive too.

"Oh come on, Touji, you know Hikari doesn't like to be bothered when she's working," chimed in the messy-haired kid.

"Touji" the jock, apparently, could care less and barged in any way, much to Hikari's obvious growing displeasure. There was a figurative black cloud hovering over her head complete with storm winds and lightning bolts that Touji never saw in the slightest bit, "Eh, whatever, Kensuke! It's just Hikari, ain't that right, _Iincho_?"

"_Su_-_zu_-_hara_-KUN!" she deadpanned in a seething voice, pressing her hands to her hips, arms akimbo style, as she radiated a most deadly serious aura of feminine indignation that managed to sent the jock hopping back a foot or two. So it seemed, even he was not that stupid when he saw somebody was ticked off at him. However, a foot or two was nowhere near far enough as Hikari snatched him by the ear and began to tweak, much to his loud agony.

"Ack! OW! Hey, what the he-OW!"

"Don't you dare say that word when I'm around Mister Suzuhara Touji-_SAN_!"

"See, I told you so. Now, say cheese! This is a crowning Kodak moment by Aida Kensuke-sama, you know!"

"H-H-HEY, Kensuke, don't-"

The flash photography predictably ignited gales of laughter from the rest of the spectating classroom at "The Legendary King and Queen of Class 2-A," that is one Suzuhara Touji and Horaki Hikari. Shinji at the time was not privy to such knowledge and would not have cared to know, but the mention of the loud jock's full name did irk his notice. However, any attempt to put two and two together in regards to "Suzuhara Touji" and "Suzuhara Mari" was promptly put on hold when his nose picked an eerily _familiar_ scent.

The smell of roses, a strong sweet enthralling scent he had come to know so well was permeating through the air, but this was not just any ordinary smell. There was magic in this too, a kind of _signature_ the _Dollmeister_ Rozen had put into the _rosa mystica_ of his seven daughters that only those who studied sorcery in order to attain true magic or the mediums themselves could sense. Of course, he was Suigintou's _Chevalier_ and he had engraved her scent into his heart: a strong, elegant, yet possessive essence that grasped his senses and promised never to let him go, a double-edged sword. This _one_, however, was completely different. She was graceful and light, the strength of command and responsibility fit to be a empress, warm and compassionate, such was the love of the _red _rose.

_Red_.

No.

The bandages this morning.

The smell of red roses.

No.

No! It could not be, could it?

It was difficult to say when his body had begun to move, but Shinji could recall briefly the rush of air, the slap of warm supple flesh in his left hand, before a single stunning blood red eye met his own furious blue eyes. The phantom from his hallucination the other day had returned once again, sky blue hair and all, her right arm in a cast a sling as an assortment of bandages marked her body from head to toe, including one that obscured one of her eyes, and yes, she was human, still alive just like Horaki, Suzuhara, and Aida. However, none of that mattered to him in his enraged psyche, just the focus of the twin silver rose rings: a resonance of red and amethyst calling out to each other.

"**You **--- You're that Ayanami Rei from the other day, aren't you?" he breathed harshly, the world gone from his senses. Here and now, there was only himself and this wretched freak of a girl, who had dared to lay her hands on him. "Yes, you're the ONE, aren't you?"

Rei whispered emotionlessly to him in reply, not fazed by the grave situation in the slightest, "_Hai_, I am Ayanami Rei, Third Child."

"Who is SHE? WHO is the _one_ who gave you _this_?"

"That _she _is _Fraulein _Rose --- Shinku the Fifth Rozen Maiden Doll."

Shinku. _Fraulein _Rose. The Fifth Rozen Maiden Doll. His Suigintou's hated rival and younger sister.

He was right: there was going to be trouble, after all, but he had no idea how much worse it was going to get...

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yes, I know I'm late, but better late than never, right? w00t, and episode 5 of Infinite Time is here. Things are building up as always. Gendou tried to assassinate his own son? Sheesh, what a prick, and on top of that, he's working with Amalgam's Leonard Testarossa, AKA Tessa's twin brother? Ouch, that's some crazy stuff, but wait, it gets better? Kensuke is going to be an EVA pilot? Kensuke Aida, the Fourth Child? Say WHAT? And what happened to Suigintou? Is she sick or something from all the power of existence Shinji absorbed from the 3rd Angel? Wait, REI is Shinku's medium? WHA! She went and patched him up last night after his "fall"? Who else knows about last night? Does Misato know? Will MITHRIL make an appearance? Does Kensuke know he's going to be a super robot pilot? Is he worthy of becoming a _Yuusha_? How will Shinji deal with Touji when Touji finds out that he's responsible for putting his kid sister into the hospital? What's gonna happen next?

Well, we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

For those of you who have tuned in, I'd like to thank you all very much for your patronage, and I always encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often).

Well, that wraps it up, folks, so until the next time we meet (probably in April): Enjoy Break y'all!

_Tsudzuku_!


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